Over 1,800 factories destroyed by paramilitary RSF in Khartoum, Sudanese minister says

KHARTOUM / ISTANBUL

More than 1,800 factories have been destroyed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, a Sudanese minister said Thursday.

"The rebel militia destroyed 1,877 factories in Khartoum State, including 553 completely and 1,267 partially,” Minister of Industry and Trade Mahasen Ali Yaqoub told a press conference in Port Sudan.

A damage survey conducted by the government following the recapture of Khartoum from the rebel group showed massive damage, she said.

The minister pointed out that most RSF attacks targeted the infrastructure of factories, especially energy equipment and systems, to prevent the resumption of work in the capital.

"The industrial sector has sustained massive and systematic damage, leading to a complete cessation of the industry in Khartoum, Al-Jazira, and Sennar,” Yaqoub added.

She stressed that the RSF assaults “completely paralyzed the industrial sector” in Sudan, forcing the country to import its most basic necessities.

In May 2025, the Sudanese army announced regaining full control over the Khartoum state.

The army and the RSF have been locked in a devastating war since April 15, 2023. The conflict has killed thousands and displaced millions.

To date, the RSF controls all five states of the Darfur region in western Sudan, while the army holds most of the remaining 13 states in the south, north, east, and center, including the nation's capital of Khartoum.